Device for automatically playing pianos



.PATENTED JAN. 26, I904.

0. H. ARNO. DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLAYING PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1903.

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PATENTED JAN. 26, 1904.

0. H. ARNO; DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLAYING PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented January 26, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

OLIVER H. ARNO, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOALEXANDER STEIINER'T, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLAYING PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 750,517, dated January26, 1904.

Application filed June 18, 1903. Serial No. 162,029. No model.)

To (.LZZ whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OLIVER H. ARNO, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines orDevices for Automatically Playing Pianos and Similar Instru ments, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, in explaining its nature.

My invention relates to the herein-described improvement in machines ordevices for automatically playing pianos and similar instruments; and itrelates with more specific reference to a means or instrumentality forregulating the tension of the perforated music sheet or paper ascommonly used in said machines, whereby the same may be made to run overthe end of the tracker-board with a uniformity and regularity ofmovement.

According to the usual mode of operation in instruments of the kindreferred to, the music-sheet is unwound from a music-roll, so called, topass over the end of a trackerboard, then to be taken up by being woundupon a take-up roll. It is the take-up roll which receives the motivepower, its revolution tending to draw the music-sheet to unwind from themusic-roll. ith such a mode of operation it is mechanically obvious thatthe music-sheet normally unwinds more easily, drawing with lesser degreeof tension, when there is agreater amount of paper on the music-rollthan when there is a lesser amount left thereon, the ease of unwinding,and so the drawing tension, of the paper relatively varying with theamount of paper on the roll. The effect is that when the paper is firstdrawn o'ti' the music-roll it winds upon the take-up roll loosely,gradually winding tighter as the paper unwinds harder from themusic-roll, whereby its tension is increased, as before re ferred to.The resultis that as the paper gradually winds tighter on the take-uproll, due to its increased tension consequent upon its drawing harderoff the music-roll, there is a slight giving back of the paper, or, inother words, the paper rolls with a slightly-lessening degree of speedover the tracker-boanl, which is detrimental in the fact that theperforations in the paper would be relatively retarded in reaching thechannels or ways in the tracker-board, so causing a relatively irregulartime operation of the instrument. In view of these considerations it iswithin the purpose of my invention to so vary the resistance of themusic-roll against turning that the paper will be drawn therefrom overthe ends of the trackerboard at a uniform tension, and so from themanner of its operation with a uniformity and regularity of movement.This effect, with general reference, is obtained by providing themusic-roll with a compensating device, so called, consisting of an adjustable brake, which acts to oppose the turning of the music-roll insuch a manner as to impart to it a variable resistance to the unwindingof the music-sheet therefrom, the brake being so adjusted that theresistance of the music-roll to the unwinding of the paper becomesgradually decreased as the paper unwinds therefrom, thegradually-decreasing re sistance of the music-roll to the unwinding ofthe paper giving way to, and so compensating for the gradual increase inthe degree of hardness with which the paper normally unwinds from themusic-roll, as before referred to.

It is within the further purpose of my invention to maintain the paperto have a uniform tension, and so a uniformity and regularity ofmovement whatever may be the condition of air -exhaustion in theinstrument or, more strictly, in the channels or ways ofits would be ofno material consequence if the degree of exhaustion in the channels orways of the tracker board was constant, for then any tendency to retardthe paper at this point would be constant which would not interferematerially with its uniformity of tension, and so its uniformity andregularity of movement. The trouble is, however, that the amount ofexhaustion is not a constant but a variable factor, being especiallystrong when it is desired to operate the instrument with increasedforce, which effect, of course, is obtained by a more perfect degree ofexhaustion, with the result that the paper is pressed or drawn moretightly against the end of the tracker-board, and so its tensionincreased and its progress relatively impeded. Accordingly, it is myfurther purpose to offset such tendency to retard or impede the paper,and so to interfere with its tension and regularity of movement, bycausing at the moment of any increased degree of exhaustion in theinstrument, and so in the channels or ways of the tracker-board, thebrake in my compensating device to ease up slightly in its opposition tothe musicroll, the effect being to compensate for the tendency to retardthe paper and the increased resistance given to the paper by the exhaustby lessening the amount of resistance of the music-roll to the unwindingof the paper from it, so keeping the paper at a uniform tension andresultantly giving it a uniformity and regularity of movement.

My invention pertains to various other incidents of construction whichcombine to make my device more perfect, all of which can best be seenand understood by reference to the drawings, wherein Figure 1 shows mydevice in side elevation. Fig. 2 shows the same in front elevation. Fig.3 shows in plan a detail of construction to which reference willhereinafter be made.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the music-roll; A, the take-uproll from the one to the other of which runs the perforated music-sheetA over the end of the trackerboard A having channels or ways a. Aportiononly of these parts are shown, and they are but arbitrarily arranged,their disposition only tending to show the relative manner in which mycompensating device is combined to cooperate therewith, and especiallywith relation to the music-roll, to which it more specifically pertains.

Referring now to the elements constituting my compensating device, B isa friction-disk connected to rotate with the music-roll by being mountedupon the extended end of the shaft 7), which furnishes the usual bearingfor one end of the music-roll. The shaft 5 thus extended is supported bya hanger 5. Contacting with the inside face of the frictiondisk is thefriction piece or brake L This brake is carried upon the end of a spring7), which is fixed to the side of the pneumatic 5", whereby the frictionpiece or brake will be held to have frictional contact with tensionagainst the face of the friction-disk. It is also to be noted at thispoint that the movable side of the pneumatic is also provided with anarm U, which loops around midway the spring 7) and is so arrangedrelatively to it as to draw in the spring, and so the brake b fixed tothe end thereof, away from its bearing against the face of thefriction-disk or at least lessening its intensity of bearingthereagainst whenever the pneumatic is collapsed, the pneumatic beingconnected with the main wind-chest and being collapsed upon occasion,especially when the instrument is operated with increased force. Thepneumatic b" is hinged to any suitable frame-support b and with such adisposition that the pneumatic may be moved upon its hinged support andthe friction piece or brake carried by said pneumatic, or the springfixed to the same may be moved from the point contacting with the disknearer its outer edge or periphery to a point nearer its center or axisof turning or to any point intermediate between these points of contact,this depending upon and corresponding with the amount of paper in themusic-roll, the friction piece or brake having bearing nearer theperiphery of the disk when the roll is filled with paper and graduallymoving radially inward therefrom for its bearing correspondingly as thepaper becomes wound off the roll. Such relative disposition of thefriction piece or brake is obtained by the intermediary means comprisingthe friction-roll 6 bearing against the paper wound upon the music-roll,the crank 7), carrying the same, the shaft 7), to one end of which saidcrank is fixed and to the other end of which reversely extending is thecrank 6 to which crank is pivoted the link 6, connecting the same withthe fixed side of the pneumatic. he friction-roll 6 maintains a constantbearing against the paper wound upon the music-roll, the friction-rollbeing borne by the crank to follow the paper left upon the music-roll asthe music-sheet unwinds therefrom, leaving the roll and the paper leftthereon of lessening diameter. The position of the friction-roll beingthus defined, the other parts are so related and combined to cooperatetherewith that as the friction-roll moves inwardly upon its crank tofollow the gradually-lessening amount of paper upon the music-roll thepneumatic will be correspondingly drawn down, turning upon its hingedsupport, and the friction piece or against the pin 7", fixed to the sideof the pneumatic, the effect being through the intermediary partsconnecting the pneumatic with the friction-roll to throw the same intocontact with the paper upon the music-roll and to hold saidfriction-roll in continuous contact therewith whatever the amount ofpaper upon the roll maybe. The operable effect of the parts soconstituting my compensating device is as follows: Inasmuch as thefriction-disk is connected to turn at the same time as the music-roll A,it is mechanically obvious that when the friction piece or brake Wis incontact with the friction-disk at a point nearer its outer edgeor-periphery it has a greater influence to oppose the turning of thedisk, and so of the music-roll connecting therewith, whereby. it hasgreater resistance to the unwinding of the paper than if contactingagainst the friction-disk nearer its center or axis of turning and withadifference of frictional opposition gradually diminishing as thefriction piece or brake in its bearing is drawn radially from theperiphery of the disk. Now, as just referred to, the position of thefriction piece or brake in its relative bearing against thefriction-disk is made to correspond with the amount of paper on themusicroll, the friction piece or brake being nearest the edge orperiphery of the disk when the musicroll is full of paper, so opposingits turning with a relatively maximum degree of opposition and impartingto the musicroll a relatively maximum amount of resistance to theunwinding of the paper from it, and which friction piece or brake in itsbearing gradually moves in toward the center or the axis of turning ofsaid friction-disk correspondingly as the paper gradually runs off themusic-roll, so giving to the disk a gradually-lessening amount offrictional opposition, and therefore providing the music-roll with agraduallylessening resistance to the unwinding of the paper therefrom;but with the music-sheet operating as it does to unwind from themusicroll by Winding upon the take-up roll the music-sheet will unwindfrom the music-roll with gradually-decreasing ease as the pa per becomesunwound from it, for when the music-roll is filled with paper it ismechanically obvious that the paper will unwind more easily than whenthere is a lesser amount of paper in the roll. Accordingly my deviceacts to compensate for the varying degrees of hardness with which thepaper unwinds from the music-roll, and this is effected by its frictionpiece or brake 72 bearing against the frictiondisk near its edge orperiphery, where its opposition tends to impart to the musicroll withwhich it is connected a maximum amount of resistance to the unwinding ofthe paper from it when the roll is filled with paper, as beforeexplained, and which friction piece or brake in its bearing variescorrespondingly with the lessening diameter of the musicroll as themusic-sheet unwinds from it, moves in toward the axis of thefriction-disk, where its grzulually-lessening opposition thereto causesthe musicroll to turn with a less resistance to the unwinding of thepaper, thereby compensating for the gradually-increasing hardness andadded. tension with which the paper normally unwinds from themusic-roll, with the result that the music sheet or paper unwinds fromthe music-roll with a uniform degree of hardness and constant tension,which results in its winding evenly upon the takeup roll, whereby therewill be no giving back by the paper, as is normally the case; but itwill run over the end of the tracker-board with a uniformity andregularity of movement.

My compensating device acts upon the same general principle to reducethe resistance of the musicroll to the unwinding of the paper therefromwhenever there is an increased exhaustion in the instrument and so inthe channels or ways of the tracker-board, which may happen on occasion,especially when it is desired to operate the instrument with increasedforce, as it were, as before referred to At such moment the pneumatic b,which connects with the wind-chest of the instrument, is collapsed,drawing in its movable side and also the spring If, which is fixed toand combined with said movable side of the pneumatic to be drawn inthereby, as before explained, the effect being that the friction pieceor brake, whiclr is secured to the end of said spring, is drawn awayfrom its bearing against the friction-disk, or at least its tensionthereagainst is lessened by the withdrawal of the spring whence thefriction-disk bears with less opposition, and so the music-rollconnected therewith has less resistance to the unwinding of the paper,thereby instantly and automatically compensating for any tendency of thepa per to be retarded by the increased exhaustion and preserving itsuniformity of tension, and so its uniformity and regularity of movementover the end of the tracker-board.

As tending to the further perfection of my compensating device I haveprovided it with means whereby it may be thrown out of op erativerelation with respect to the musicroll that the music-sheet may berewound thereon freely and without opposition, and which means, withgeneral reference, consists in drawing away the friction piece or brakefrom its bearing against the friction-disk and at the same time throwingback the parts, so that the friction-roll will no longer bear againstthe paper upon the music-roll, so freeing it in its turning from anystress of opposition. Such means comprises a shaft having bearings inthe hanger 6', before referred to, upon the head of which shaft is acrank c, to which is secured a link 0, connecting with the spring 7),which bears the friction piece or brake. To this shaft 0 is also securedan arm a, so disposed that it will en a e with the inclined cam-surb 2?face of the cam a, which is fixed to the under side of the pneumatic If.The operation of these parts is as follows: \Nhen the shaft isturned,which turning may be obtained by connecting the shaft by anysuitable means with the running mechanism of the instrument, the crank0, secured to the head, is thrown around, drawing back the spring 7)through the instrumentality of the connecting-link 0,whereby with thewithdrawal of the spring the friction piece or brake upon the endthereof is also drawn away from its bearing against the friction-disk,wherefore the disk and the music-roll connecting therewith turn withoutopposition. At the same time as the shaft G is turned the arm 0 fixedthereto wears against the inclined surface of the cam 0', therebyraising the pneumatic, which through the intermediary connections throwsthe frictionroll back from its contact with the paper upon themusic-roll, with the result that the musicroll turns freely withoutresistance to the rewinding of the paper and without the interference ofany frictional stress or bearing. After the paper has become rewoundupon the roll it may be taken out and another roll reinserted, when byreversely turning the shaft C the parts may again be thrown intooperatable position, with the friction piece or brake bearing againstthe friction-disk and the friction-roll contacting with the music-rollfilled with paper, so governing the position of the brake relatively tothe friction-disk, as before referred to.

\Vhile such a device as I have described is especially adapted to beused in connection with piano-players, so called, yet it pertains to anykind of an instrument which has a supply-roll, a take-up roll, and aperforated sheet.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States 1. In an instrument of thecharacter specified, the combination of a music-roll, a takeup roll, aperforated music-sheet, and means for opposing the rotation of saidroll, the resistance of which to the unwinding of the mu sic-sheetthereon will be gradually lessened as the sheet unwinds.

2. In an instrument of the character specified, the combination of amusic-roll, a perforated music-sheet, and means for opposing therotation of said roll, the resistance of which to the unwinding of themusic-sheet thereon will be changed dependent upon the amount of paperupon said roll.

3. In an instrument of the character specified, the combination of amusic-roll having normally a constant resistance against turning, atake-up roll, a perforated music-sheet, and means for graduating theresistance of' the music-roll that the music-sheet may be unwoundtherefrom upon the take-up roll with a uniform tension.

I. In an instrument of the character specified, the combination of amusic-roll having normally a constant resistance against turning, atake-up roll, a perforated music-sheet, and means for graduallydecreasing the resistance of said roll to the unwinding of the paperthat the paper may be unwound therefrom upon the take-up roll with auniform tension.

5. In an instrument of the character specified, the combination of amusic-roll, a take up roll, a perforated music-sheet, a frictionbearingbrake for opposing the motion of said music-roll, and means forregulating said friction-bearing brake that it may oppose the motion ofsaid music-roll with a gradually-lessening degree of oppositiondependent upon the amount of paper on the music-roll.

6. In an instrument of the character specified, the combination of amusic-roll, a takeup roll, a perforated music-sheet, and means foropposing the motion of said music-roll to the unwinding of the paper,which means be comes lessened in its degree of opposition when the paperdraws to wind upon the take-up roll with an increased tension.

7. In an instrument of the character specified, the combination of amusic-roll, a takeup roll, a perforated music-sheet, a frictional meansfor opposing the motion of said musicroll to the unwinding of the paper,and means for regulating the said frictional means to oppose the motionof said music-roll with a less degree of opposition when the paper drawsto wind upon the take-up roll with an increase of tension.

8. In an instrument of the character specified, the combination of amusic-roll, a takeup roll, a perforated music-sheet, a frictiondiskconnected with said music-roll to turn therewith, a friction piece orbrake adapted to bear against said disk, and means for regulating saidfriction-piece to oppose the motion of said disk and so the motion ofthe musicroll with a lesser degree of opposition when the paper draws towind upon the take-up roll with an increase of tension, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

9. In an instrument of the character specified, the combination of amusic-roll, a takeup roll, a perforated music-sheet, a frictiondiskconnected with said music-roll to turn therewith, a friction piece orbrake to bear with tension against said disk, a support for saidfriction piece or brake adapted to carry the same from a pointcontacting with the disk nearer its outer edge or periphery to a pointcontacting therewith nearer its axis of turning, and means for changingthe position of said support and so of the friction-piece in its bearingagainst said disk dependent upon the amount of paper in the music-roll.

10. In an instrument of the character specified, the combination of amusic-roll, a take-up roll, a perforated music-sheet, a friction-diskconnected with said music-roll to turn therewith, a friction piece orbrake to bear against IIO said disk, a friction roll or membercontacting to bear against the paper upon said music-roll, and meansconnecting with and interposed between said friction roll or member andthe friction-piece aforesaid having such relative arrangement that thefriction roll or member is made to follow and so keep in contact withthe paper on the music-roll as the same becomes unwound, andsimultaneously the friction-piece be moved to where it will contact withthe friction-disk with a'correspondingl y lessening degree ofopposition.

11. In an instrument of the character specilied, the combination of amusic-roll, a take-up roll, a perforated music-sheet, a friction-diskconnected with said music-roll to turn therewith, a friction piece orbrake borne to bear with tension against said disk, a hinged support forsaid friction-pieceadaptedto carry the same from a point contacting withthe disk nearer its outer edge to a point nearer its center or axis ofturning, a friction roll or member to bear against the paper on themusic-roll, means connecting said roll or member with said support forthe friction-piece aforesaid, which means are adapted to carry said rollor member whereby it will keep in continued contact with the paper onsaid music-roll as the same becomes unwound, and simultaneously impartthe movement thereof to the support for the friction-piece whereby thesame will be changed in its position of contact against thefriction-disk varying with the amount of paper upon the music-roll, andmeans for holding the parts in normally operable position.

12. In an instrument of the character specified, the combination of amusic-roll, a takeup roll, a perforated music-sheet, frictional meansfor opposing the rotation of the music-roll to turn with some resistanceto the unwinding of the music-sheet therefrom, and means for controllingthe said frictional means, the opposition of which becomes eliminated orlessened when the exhaust in the instrument causes the musicsheet towind upon the take-up roll with an increase of tension.

13. In an instrument of the character specified, the combination of amusic-roll, a take-up roll, a perforated music sheet, a frictional brakefor opposing the turning of said musicroll to the unwinding of the papertherefrom, a pneumatic connecting with the wind-chest for regulating thefrictional opposition of said brake to the said music-roll, meansconnecting said pneumatic with said wind chest, and means connecting thesame with said brake.

14. In an instrument of the character specified, the combination of amusic-roll, a takeup roll, a perforated music-sheet, a frictiondiskconnected with said music-roll to turn therewith, a frictional piece orbrake adapted to bear with tension against said disk to oppose theturning of the same, a pneumatic connecting with the wind-chest with themovable side of which pneumatic the friction piece or brake aforesaid isconnected, a friction roll or member contacting to bear against thepaper upon the music-roll whereby its position is defined, meansconnecting said friction roll or member with said pneumatic, which meansare adapted to carry said friction roll or member wherebyit will keep incontinued contact with the paper on said music-roll as the same becomesunwound and simultaneously will impart its motion to the pneumaticbearing the friction piece or brake whereby said brake will be changedin the position of its bearing against the friction disk varying withthe amount of paper upon the music-roll, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

15. In an instrument of the character specilied, the combination of amusic-roll, a takeup roll, a perforated music-sheet, a brake foropposing the rotation of said music-roll to the unwinding of the papertherefrom, means for controlling said brake to oppose the rotation ofsaid music-roll with a lesser degree of op position when the paper drawsto wind upon the take-up roll with an increased tension, and meanswhereby said brake maybe thrown out of operable relation with respect tosaid music-roll or its frictional opposition thereto lessened.

16. In an instrument of the character specified, the combination of amusic-roll, a take up roll, a perforated music-sheet, a frictiondiskconnected with said music-roll to turn therewith, a frictional piece orbrake normally bearing against said disk to oppose the same, a frictionroll or member normally bearing against the paper upon the music roll bywhich its position is defined, means connecting said friction roll ormember and the brake aforesaid whereby said friction roll or member willfollow the gradually-lesseningdiameter of the music-roll as the paperunwinds therefrom and simultaneously the brake be moved to where it willcontact with the friction-disk with a correspondingly lessening degreeof opposition, and means for throwing said frictional members aforesaidout of their normally operable bearing with respect to said music-rollwhatever their relative positions may be, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

OLIVER H. ARNO.

In presence of- J. M. DOLAN, SAUL Srrrnns'rnm.

